Effective, significant preaching requires a vision and a pondering of the question, How can I do what the Church expects of me?" The homily offers preachers a chance to live this question. Drawing from official Roman Catholic documents (1963–1995), Written Text Becomes Living Word summarizes this Vision for the homily as having five characteristics: personal, liturgical, inculturating, clarifying, and actualizing. DeLeers integrates and develops homiletic practice into this Vision by a detailed process for effective preparation and preaching. Written from the author's work with preachers, Written Text Becomes Living Word will help re-inspire the homiletic Vision as well as the spiritual life of those preaching.

Chapters are: *Repairing the 'Accidents of History': Roman Catholic Restoration and Embrace of the Sunday Homily, - *The Evolution of the 'Restored' Homily,1963-93, - *A Roman Catholic Contribution to the Vision of Sunday Preaching, - *The Homily as Personal Word: Responsibility, Faith, and Love, - *The Homily as Liturgical Word: The Assembly and Its Sacred Ritual, - *The Homily as Inculturated Word: Correlating Experience and Tradition, - *The Homily as Clarifying Word: One Good Point, Clearly Made, - *The Homily as Actualizing Word: Written Text Becomes Living Word, - *Arriving at the Sunday Message: Three Necessary Encounters with the Word, - *From Message to Homily: Content, Structure, and Delivery, - *Ten Suggestions for Becoming a Better Preacher, - and an Appendix: Roman Catholic Documents on the Homily. Also includes an Index.